


I Serve at the Pleasure of the President

by PolysDoItForSCIENCE



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s02e01 In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part 1, Established Relationship, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gun Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25177444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolysDoItForSCIENCE/pseuds/PolysDoItForSCIENCE
Summary: This was supposed to be their victory lap. They had been let off the leash to work on fixing things. Let Bartlett be Bartlett. Take your legislative agenda and shove it up your ass. I serve at the pleasure of the President.This was supposed to be the beginning of getting it right.And instead all Sam could think was 'I need Josh.'
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn
Comments: 10
Kudos: 88





	I Serve at the Pleasure of the President

The world was going to hell around him and despite being back where he felt safest – was safest even a word? Who the hell cares, he’s a writer, he can make things up – despite being at the White House, the place he feels the most safe in all the world, all Sam could think was ‘I need Josh.’

Over and over in the back of his mind while he tried to work through the mess. 

‘I need Josh’. 

The President came out of surgery fine, Josh was still in. C.J. was about to collapse from shock and exhaustion. He really should talk to Danny. Should tell him to take Ceej into her office and just hold her tight for ten minutes. Tell him to forget their past troubles for a few moments and be a man comforting the woman he cares about after she’s had the scare of her life. 

‘I need Josh’. 

This was supposed to be their moment of triumph. 

They’d been let off the leash and they were gonna fix things. 

No more middle of the road. 

“Take your legislative agenda and shove it up your ass!” Josh had told a Senator. 

I serve at the pleasure of the President.

‘I NEED Josh’. 

Tonight was gonna be an early night: everyone would get back, the President would retire, and the Press would be briefed, letting everyone go home. The President would watch women’s softball; Charlie wanted to take Zoe to a movie. Josh had made noises about celebrating with a bottle of expensive wine and Sam’s best chicken before retiring for “dessert”. 

If Sam closed his eyes he could imagine being in the kitchen, cooking at the stove, towel over his shoulder, glass of wine in one hand, a fork in the other. Josh would be sitting on the counter right next to him, his own glass of wine sloshing slightly as he energetically talked about their next move. And every once in a while, one of them would lean over to steal a kiss, a kiss sweet and full of the pure energy of just being ALIVE. Alive and working to change the country they loved. 

And tomorrow morning Josh would wake up to Sam already writing as he lay in bed next to him. His hair would be mussed and his nose furrowed under the arch of his glasses as he tried to find the perfect way for the President to say something. And Sam would look “too damn cute” to be let alone so Josh would pounce on him and they’d have a very leisurely morning. They’d walk into the White House with coffee and lunch plans they’d actually fulfill at 5 in the afternoon. And as they split to their offices, Josh’s hand would brush Sam’s ever so lightly.

“I NEED JOSH’. 

He continued to push past the voice. He had work to do, he was needed here. 

“Sam.” The Deputy Communications Director looked up to see his boss, Leo McGarry, standing before him. “How you holding up?”

“Fine, sir. I’m fine.” Leo walked in and closed the office door behind him. “Really, Leo, I’m-.”

“Fine, yeah, I heard you the first time.” Leo took a seat in one of the guest chairs. He leveled the ever knowing gaze on the younger man. “How are you holding up, Sam?”

“I’m fin-.”

“Sam, the President was just shot, you were almost shot, and your lover is currently under the knife from also being shot.”

Sam blinked rapidly,

“How did you know-?”

Leo scowled,

“Does everyone on the Senior Staff think I’m oblivious to everything that isn’t politics or is it just you and Josh?”

“I, uh, no one thinks that, sir,” Sam finally stumbled out. “Does the President know?”

“Yes.”

“Oh God.” Sam put his head down and tried not to groan. “How did he find out?”

“The same way I did.” That caused him to pop back up. “You two decided it was a good idea to fight about Josh’s dirty clothes when you were in my office.”

“He leaves them all over the floor,” Sam muttered, not even noticing that there was a soft smile on his face. He shook his head to clear it. “Are we that obvious?”

“No. If I hadn’t heard the fight then I wouldn’t have known at all. By the way,” a small grin was on the Chief of Staff’s face. “You and Abbey aren’t allowed to swap tips for dealing with annoying partners.”

“I…excuse me?”

Leo stood, smoothing his pants. 

“The President couldn’t stop laughing for some five minutes after you two left. Said you and Mrs. Bartlet could no longer talk because there’s no way you wouldn’t give her some tips for dealing with him.”

“I would never presume-.”

“Ah,” Leo waved is remark away. “You wouldn’t mean to, kid, that’s the problem. You’d be talking about something Josh did and how you two fixed it and then Abby would inflict it on the President.” Leo glanced at the clock. “How long till the surgery’s over?”

“What time is it right now?”

“Just after one.”

“Five or six more hours.”

Leo stayed silent for a moment while Sam picked at things on his desk. 

“Do you want to go back to the hospital?” he finally asked. Sam shook his head. “You sure?”

“Not for a few hours.” Sam sighed. “I already hate that room, that stupid small private room…I feel bad for making Donna stay there alone-.”

“Abbey’s there, Zoey and Charlie too.”

“The First Lady is a wonderful and charming woman but her husband was shot this evening,” the younger man snapped. “She’ll do her best but she’s a doctor and when the President wakes up she won’t leave his side, Zoey won’t leave theirs, and you’d need a herd of wild horses to drag Charlie away.” He began to mindlessly arrange the papers on his desk, not seeing a single one. “I’ll go back in a few hours.”

“Sam…” Leo was staring at him, weighing his mental status with a single look. “Are you here?”

The Deputy Communications director nodded, 

“Do the job, sir.” 

“That’s going to be our mantra today,” the older man sighed, standing. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything?”

“Back atcha.”

Leo left, leaving a completely drained Sam behind. 

‘I need Josh…but I’m gonna stay here and do my job.’

Because that’s what Josh would want. 

I serve at the pleasure of the President.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this long ago, grad school maybe? And forgot about it, till now when I started re-watching The West Wing. Because when you have just entered month five of quarantine, you're living with your parents, and your job is on the other side of the world, you need something that makes you happy at least some of the time.
> 
> Also, please, if you are American, VOTE IN NOVEMBER. History is made by those who show up. So show up, even if it's just by mail. Encourage everyone you know to do so as well, assist those who need to register in doing so. We need you.


End file.
